Worlds Apart
by Chronosis
Summary: AU. Elizaveta Hérderváry is a Greaser- a reject of society. All she has is her gang, her turf, and her pride. She's always hated the rich kids, but after meeting a kindhearted girl from a good neighborhood, she isn't so sure.
1. Chapter 1

_Paring: Elizaveta H__érderváry/Lilli Zwingli (Hungary/Liechtenstein)  
_

_Summary: AU. __Elizaveta H__érderváry is a Greaser- a reject of society. All she has is her gang, her turf, and her pride. She's always hated the rich kids, but after meeting a kindhearted girl from a good neighborhood, she isn't so sure.  
_

* * *

_March, 1958_

_America_

.

Right punch. Left kick. Draw back. Watch out for switchblades. Bike chains hurt like a bitch. Zip guns are deadly.

Elizaveta dodged a punch, falling back a few feet. She glanced around, looking for the other members of her gang. Gilbert had her back, white hair flashing, red eyes blazing. His brother, Ludwig, was nearby, engaging with one of the Vikings. He had this under control. She saw Feliciano and Lovino, two brothers from next door, before another punch came at her. She kicked.

A rumble was nothing new. Winter and the Vikings were always fighting. Rich kid against Greaser conflict happened every day. What was new was it happening on their turf- The Blackbirds turf, her turf. She thought that even big gangs like Winter or a rich kid gang like the Vikings would respect simple boundaries. Maybe it was because Winter was vicious to everyone. The Vikings had enough money to cover anything; she heard they even had handguns.

"Eliza, on your right!"

Elizaveta jumped to the left, narrowly avoiding a punch. She spun around to see her attacker just as their hit landed on Gilbert, right under his jaw. He fell back. Elizaveta rolled up her sleeves and turned around.

It was a girl. Elizaveta had never seen anyone like her at a rumble. Her hair was long, blonde, braided, her eyes green and wide. She was scared. Was she lost? She didn't look like anyone Elizaveta had seen in the Vikings or Winter, the latter of which who had two girls of its own.

Elizaveta glanced over at Gilbert, getting back on his feet. Lost or not, this queen had knocked out someone in Blackbirds. That was the same as family. She took a step toward the girl. Even if she was tiny, she had to be strong to be able to knock Gilbert out with a punch.

Something stilled her hand. Something about the girl made her hesitate. Maybe it was how she looked so small and helpless. Maybe it was because Elizaveta thought she heard her apologize. That moment gave the girl enough time to run off, disappearing into the fray again.

Suddenly, two people barreled in from her neighborhood, switchblades flashing in the light. Gilbert took out his own from his jacket, bike chain in the other hand, and joined the other two. Antonio and Francis, the Bad Touch Trio, why their neighborhood was nicknamed Hell's Cauldron. The rumble ended in seconds, the Vikings and Winter scattering, scaling the wire fences surrounding the park. Elizaveta scanned them but didn't see the girl anywhere with them. Maybe she had run earlier.

She turned back to the rest of the Blackbirds, starting toward Gilbert. It didn't matter. She wouldn't forget a face like that.

.

"I can't believe it." Gilbert said for the tenth time. "I can't believe it! That was a lucky shot. If I had expected it she wouldn't have gotten away."

Francis tossed his perfect shoulder-length blond hair over his shoulder as he laughed. His hair was always perfectly curled, his clothing always perfectly fitting. He looked like an rich kid, even in a scuffed leather jacket and old jeans. "Maybe if you stopped reading those bird books of yours for a minute and focused on actually fighting that wouldn't have happened."

"Encyclopedias, not _bird books_." Gilbert rolled his eyes. "You're the baker. And I've seen the kind of romances you read."

Francis' hand flew to his chest in mock offense. "Gilbert, you wound me. You really are the White Devil."

Elizaveta snorted. That's what people called him; it was probably a reference to his pale skin and white hair. He was anything but threatening to her.

"I can't believe it. Knocked out by a girl," Gilbert muttered.

"Hey, hey, don't forget that time you popped the bridge off of Roderich's violin and he almost broke your flute. Didn't you faint then?" Elizaveta grinned. "I don't see much of a difference there."

Antonio laughed. He was starkly different from Francis and Gilbert, with thick, dark curls and tan skin. "I'm pretty sure I saw him wearing a corset once."

Gilbert turned bright red and looked away. "At least he's not obsessed with a ventriloquist."

"What did you say about me?"

Roderich's voice interrupted the beginning of Antonio's speech on the greatness of Señor Wences. He would recite it whenever someone insulted him.

Roderich was standing before the fence in front of Gilbert's house, one eyebrow raised. He would never lean on it or touch the fence. He was far too dignified for that. He stood with perfect posture, back straight, hair swept neatly to the sides, clothing immaculate. "Please, continue your conversation. I am intrigued."

Gilbert suddenly became very quiet, looking everywhere but Roderich. He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot.

"We were just talking about that one time you made him faint." Elizaveta was more than willing to continue. "When he broke your violin, remember?"

Gilbert whirled around, embarrassed. "I'm going in." He stormed off, only getting halfway up the stairs to his porch when Roderich started laughing. He froze, blushed, and tripped, immediately shooting back up and running the rest of the way into the house.

Elizaveta couldn't help laughing herself. "How do you deal with him?"

"An immense amount of patience. Are you coming in?"

She checked her watch. "My shift is starting soon. I gotta go." She worked at a diner nearby, Rocking Johnny's, every night. Her dad hardly made enough to get by and he was almost never home. The money she made was the only spare change they had.

Before she could leave, Francis took her hand, kissing it lightly. "_Au revoir, belle dame_."

Elizaveta laughed, pulling away. Francis was such a flirt. "Don't have too much fun without me."

.

"Menu for table six."

Elizaveta wiped the sweat off her forehead and took a menu off the stack, weaving through the booths and tables to the front. Rocking Johnny's was always busy- it was one of the most popular diners in that part of town. Elizaveta didn't mind. It meant she would get more tips, after all.

When Elizaveta reached table six, she broke into a grin. "Natalia!"

Natalia looked over to her and raised her hand in a wave. Her hair was white blonde and her eyes were icy blue, but the smile that ghosted over her lips was warm. "Hello, Elizaveta."

Elizaveta glanced around, looking for anyone else, and that smile immediately disappeared. "Katyusha isn't here."

"Oh, of course." Elizaveta dropped her gaze guiltily, taking out her notepad instead. She had admired Katyusha for three years- admired is all she would admit to herself- and even though it had faded it was still a habit to look for her. She took out her pen. "The usual, I'm guessing?"

Natalia nodded, perceptive gaze still fixed on Elizaveta. Her unblinking stare used to unnerve Elizaveta, but she had grown used to it. Natalia didn't try to be frightening. "You must really like Johnny's to come back here so often."

The tiny smile was back. "No. I just like to see you."

Elizaveta couldn't help grinning again. Natalia was very kind, even if she did appear cold. She was one of Elizaveta's closest friends; it didn't matter she was a part of Winter.

Natalia's back suddenly straightened and her face turned stoic. She clasped her hands neatly before her. Elizaveta was about to ask what was wrong when a voice cut in.

"Oh, Natalia! Here you are!"

Katyusha ran up to the table. She was similar in appearance to Natalia but with shorter hair and kinder features. Elizaveta felt nothing when she saw her. No thrill or anything anymore. "Ivan was wondering where you went."

Natalia lifted one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. "I have been going here for the past year."

Elizaveta backed away, trying to give them some privacy. She turned in the order and brought food out to another table, glancing over at Natalia every so often. When Natalia's order came Katyusha was gone.

"Did you have an argument?"

Natalia half-shrugged again. "You wanted to see her?" Her eyes were downcast and she kept clasping and unclasping her hands, something she always did when she was upset.

"That was a few years ago, Natalia. I don't care for her anymore." Elizaveta started serving her food.

Natalia sighed. "Yes, of course."

She put her hand on Natalia's shoulder. "I was just a kid then. I was stupid. And I met you through trying to be with her, right?"

That little smile slowly returned. "I suppose you are right." She put her hand over Elizaveta's, her smile widening. She was quite pretty when she smiled. "I am bad at these social things, so I am not sure how friends really work. But you are kind."

Elizaveta grinned again, withdrawing her hand and starting towards the back of the diner before turning around. "Oh, yeah. Is there a girl in Winter that's short, with braided blonde hair and green eyes?"

Natalia's eyes narrowed. "No," She said carefully after a long moment. "Why?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter." Elizaveta picked up her tray and turned around.

It shouldn't have mattered.

So why did it?

.

Elizaveta turned over another time in her bed, closed her eyes again, and tried to sleep again. The wind blew against her window. An owl hooted. The train nearby whistled.

She hated this feeling. She hated being so exhausted that she could hardly keep her eyes open but not being able to sleep. She was so tired after working and Blackbird's problems and school that she could hardly move, that she just wanted to sleep forever, but sleep never came.

She sat up, threw a blanket over her shoulders, and opened her window. The post-winter chill blew in immediately, but she didn't mind. Elizaveta popped off the screen and climbed outside onto the roof.

The roof was her special place. It was the place she could think, where she could breathe, where she could be alone.

Today, a different thought plagued her mind, persistent. A certain blonde-haired, green-eyed thought.

Just who was she?

Elizaveta didn't know why it mattered so much. She had seen the girl for only a few moments, and looking over her clothing now, she was obviously a rich kid. Rich kids were always attacking Greasers- they were sworn enemies. It made sense. Rich kids had nice cars and houses and clothing. Elizaveta didn't even know if she could get through her senior year of high school.

One word, one poisonous, nauseating word was the cause of it; divorce. Divorce was an evil, boiling word that burned going down. Hard to swallow. Elizaveta only had a few memories of her mother before the fighting began. Before she left altogether. Her father would always say it was for the better, that her mother had made a choice. Elizaveta didn't understand how a mother could choose to abandon her child.

Her house was always silent now. Her father was always at work to support them and was almost never home. She was used to it, though. The only things she could remember about her mother was her long, wavy brown hair, her scent, and an old Hungarian song she would sing. Elizaveta got her hair from her; her green eyes were from her father. It was the only thing they had in common, really.

Sometimes, the song would appear again in her dreams, muted strains and lyrics and hazy golden images of her mother sewing or cooking or singing. Elizaveta hated them. Her mother would never come back; she didn't need to be reminded of that.

She looked up to the stars and hoped they would tire her mind enough to sleep without dreams.

.

School was terrible and a blessing. It was terrible because of the constant tension between the Greasers and the rich kids. The rich kid gangs were ridiculous; they would jump Greasers and throw parties and still would be praised by society.

Greasers were the poorer kids. They weren't quite gangsters, but they weren't really middle class either. They would sometimes shoplift or get into rumbles, which were gang fights, but never anything terrible. They had old cars and wore t-shirts and leather jackets and sneakers. Most of them had little money, and if someone got in trouble with a rich kid, they would be the one to pay, even if the rich kid had started it. The name came from the way a lot of them slicked their hair back. The gangs in Elizaveta's town weren't anything big or organized, and the Blackbirds were just her and the people she had grown up with. Sure, there was tension between them and the other gangs, especially the Vikings, but there were never any gang wars or anything serious.

A few members of the Vikings were in her classes; a loud, obnoxious kid named Mathias, a silent and stoic kid named Lukas, and a cheerful and kind kid named Tino who seemed completely out of place. It seemed like the rule for the Vikings was being blond and light-eyed.

She almost liked Tino, but then again, he was a rich kid. Life was made for him. College was foreseeable and not a lofty dream, society loved him, and he wouldn't even have to work at a diner to put himself through high school. He probably hadn't worked a day in his life.

School was a blessing because she had enough money to be there. That was something she could lose any day, since her father might need her to work longer hours to pay the bills or buy groceries. Things were never simple.

Especially not how she couldn't stop thinking of the girl she had seen the day before. She didn't understand it- she shouldn't be interested in a rich kid. The girl had knocked out Gilbert; maybe Elizaveta simply wanted revenge. After all, if Elizaveta had touched one of the girl's friends she would probably be in jail. Rich kids got it easy since they had money and influence.

Elizaveta sighed and tried to concentrate on her math notes. The class never made any sense to her. It was almost impossible to pay attention to, nonetheless understand.

She still couldn't drive the image of the rich girl apologizing. She couldn't forget the way her punch was so strong even though she was so tiny.

Elizaveta cut off her thoughts and drove them away with the drone of the teacher's voice. It was worthless to think about the girl.

Some gaps just weren't meant to be bridged.

The rest of the day passed in a monotonous haze of school and work. Elizaveta went through it without thinking or feeling; doing her homework, walking to the diner, working, going home. She would always have to go back with Natalia. If a rich kid ever saw a Greaser walking around alone they would almost definitely get jumped.

Natalia lived nearby, so it wasn't too much of an inconvenience. Winter's neighborhood was even more run-down than Blackbirds. The streets were full of holes, some houses were boarded up, and someone was constantly yelling.

Elizaveta took a step back toward Blackbird's turf. "I'll see you tomorrow, Natalia."

Before she could step away, Natalia grabbed her wrist. "You can go anywhere on Winter's territory. You know that, yes? It is fine for you to come here with me."

This wasn't something that was common. All a gang had was it's turf. Elizaveta smiled; Natalia must really trust her. She glanced at the sky. The sun was setting, coloring it a deep yellow-orange. "Thank you, but I have to get home. It's getting late and I have to make dinner."

Natalia nodded, releasing her arm, her hand lingering longer than necessary. "I will see you tomorrow." She turned and began toward the houses without another word.

Elizaveta returned to Blackbird's turf. It was quieter here, safer. It was rare to hear anyone yelling and almost all of the houses were occupied.

Today, however, someone was yelling. Elizaveta narrowed her eyes. It wasn't a voice she recognized, and that meant someone who didn't belong was here. She hurried forward until a small girl and a boy came into view. The girl shrunk away from him as he laughed and pushed at her, speaking loudly and cockily. His unusual red hair was slicked back in the typical Greaser fashion, his leather jacket cheap, his jeans ripped. He must have been from a minor gang- definitely not from the Blackbirds.

She sped up, almost running, but before she could get there the boy's voice got harsh and he shoved the girl roughly. She fell hard on the pavement.

"Hey! Cool it!" That was it. The only thing Elizaveta hated more than intruders were intruders who harassed women. "You're cruisin' for a brusin', you know that?" She rolled up her sleeves, ready to pound him. "Let me clue you- This ain't no walk in the park. You're in Hell's Cauldron. You're on my turf." She crossed her arms, standing ready for whatever he would start. "So I suggest you turn around and walk right back out, because you won't last much longer here."

For a long moment, the boy just stood there, glaring at her. Sizing her up and down. Elizaveta cracked her neck, her gaze turning icy. Another tension-filled moment passed. Finally, with a huff of annoyance, he walked off. Elizaveta sighed, pulling her sleeves back down and relaxing. She heard Winter beat whoever went on their turf- maybe if the Blackbirds did that, they would be taken more seriously.

She turned to look at the girl. Her eyes widened. "You!"

It was the same girl from the rumble, looking even more scared that before. Her hair was in the same two braids, her eyes were just as green. This was the girl who attacked her. This was the girl who knocked out Gilbert. A hot slush of anger burned in her stomach, her hands tightening into fists. Maybe she shouldn't have helped her.

And then Elizaveta noticed the trickle of crimson down the girl's shin, and the slush cooled, melted. "You're bleeding."

The girl didn't meet her gaze. Her hand flew over her leg. "The rocks are sharp, and there's some broken glass." Her voice was soft, gentle.

Broken glass was not good. Not good at all. Suddenly, Elizaveta didn't care that this girl had hurt her friends or didn't belong here. All that mattered was that she was small and hurt and needed help. "Are you alright? Can you walk?" Elizaveta offered her hand to the girl. "Come inside. I have bandages and peroxide. What's your name?"

She stared at Elizaveta's hand for a moment before taking it cautiously, hoisting herself up and leaning on Elizaveta. "Lilli."

"Alright, Lilli, I'm Elizaveta. How's that leg doing?"

Lilli took an experimental step, then winced. "It's okay."

Elizaveta put her arm around Lilli's waist and Lilli's arm around her shoulders. "Lean into me. Put as little weight as you can onto it. Yes, there we go..."

It took a bit of struggling to get into the house and Lilli onto a chair, but after she was, Elizaveta grabbed her medical kit and got to work. The cut wasn't deep, but it was long and surrounded by smaller wounds. She put Lilli's leg over a tray, taking out the peroxide. She had an array of supplies. Whenever one of the Blackbirds got hurt, they always came to her. "Who was he?"

Lilli shook her head. "I'm not sure. I was just... On a walk when he started talking to me."

Elizaveta uncapped the peroxide, pouring it over the wound. Lilli flinched and sucked in her breath through her teeth. "You're strong, especially for your size. Where did you learn to fight?"

"My brother." Lilli watched with interest as Elizaveta cleaned the cut. "What does that do?"

She took the bandages from the kit. "The peroxide cleans it. Keeps it from getting infected." She finished the bandage. "There we are. It's not too bad; you shouldn't have too much trouble with it tomorrow."

Elizaveta checked her clock. Almost seven o'clock. She had to make dinner soon. "Hey, Lilli? Have you eaten yet?"

Lilli shook her head.

"Well, you sit tight, then, and I'll cook something up." Elizaveta started toward the kitchen. "You won't want to put too much pressure on your leg just yet walking home. Will your parents miss you?"

When there wasn't a response, Elizaveta looked back at Lilli. She had suddenly turned withdrawn, her brow furrowed and her eyes downcast. "No," she said softly.

Elizaveta wouldn't ask. She had seen all sorts of different situations; no one seemed to have a happy family. Lilli's was none of her business. "You can stay the night if you want, then. A lot of people in the gang crash here. My dad's not gonna care. He won't notice, either." Her dad didn't come home until late at night and usually went straight to sleep. She couldn't remember the last time they had a proper conversation, and she hadn't seen him in two weeks. It's what kept her in school, though, so she wouldn't complain.

The entire time she cooked, Lilli didn't say a thing. She just picked at her skirt or glanced nervously at the room around her. Elizaveta wondered what she thought of her house; it was small and shabbily decorated and nothing like the giant, beautiful houses she had seen in the rich kid neighborhoods. Her entire house could probably fit in one room in Lilli's.

Elizaveta paused. She had never been self-conscious before. Why did this suddenly matter so much? She shook her head and focused on the pot before her, dishing out the food. "C'mere. Food's ready."

Lilli was still silent as they ate, staring at her bowl with downcast eyes. For some reason, Elizaveta wanted to get her to talk. She wanted to get to know Lilli. It was strange; Lilli was a rich kid. Elizaveta would probably never see her again after this.

It wouldn't hurt to try while she was here, though. "How is it?"

It seemed to take Lilli a moment to realize Elizaveta was speaking to her. Her eyes darted up then for a moment before she nodded. Elizaveta tried again. "You mentioned your brother. Who is he?"

That got a little more of a reaction. "Vash. He's strong. Likes to hunt."

Vash Zwingli. Elizaveta knew him. He looked quite a bit like his sister, but with hair cropped to his shoulders and an air of cold authority around him. He followed Roderich around like his shadow. "You must know Roderich Edelstein, then."

Lilli nodded again. Elizaveta was about to ask something else when she continued. "Roderich is nice to me. He and Vash have a weird friendship."

"Weird?"

Lilli shrugged. "They always seem to be fighting about something, but he's Vash's best friend. It's... Weird."

This was the most she had said yet. This was good. "I have a friend like that. Gilbert."

Lilli stiffened. "The White Devil. That gangster. He's scary." Her eyes went wide all of a sudden, her hand over her mouth. "No, I didn't mean-"

Elizaveta couldn't help from laughing. Gilbert, scary. Gilbert, who denied he liked Roderich at all, even as a friend. Gilbert, who was obsessed with birds and his little brother. Absolutely terrifying.

Lilli simply looked confused now, her hand lowering. "I'm sorry?"

"No, no, you're fine." Lilli would have no idea just how Gilbert really was. How anyone in The Bad Touch Trio was. She only had rumors to go off of, after all. "Wanna know a secret?"

Lilli nodded uncertainly.

"Gilbert isn't scary at all, really." Elizaveta knew she probably shouldn't say anything at all, but Lilli wouldn't hurt anyone. She wasn't sure how she was so certain- she just was. "He loves birds. He has a little one he takes care of. You know what he named it?"

Lilli shook her head.

Elizaveta leaned forward, grinning. "Gilbird," She whispered.

For a moment, Lilli just stared at her blankly. Then, she laughed, a tiny, innocent giggle, and Elizaveta was captivated. She had such a charming smile, and Elizaveta was strangely proud to be the cause of it. She just wanted to keep her laughing. "He's a completely doting older brother. And he has a bookcase full of bird books- excuse me-" Elizaveta paused, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "_Encyclopedias_."

Lilli was laughing harder now, her smile wider. "But they say he's so scary. I saw him take a switchblade out in class."

Elizaveta raised an eyebrow. "He's not scary, just an idiot. We don't ever use them unless we need to."

Lilli's eyes went wide again, but she was still smiling. She was impressed. "You have one, too?"

Elizaveta shrugged and took it out of her coat pocket, flipping out the blade. "Wanna hold it?"

Lilli reached tentatively toward her, and Elizaveta placed it in her hand. "Wow."

"Don't worry, I only used it once, and that was to cut a bird out of some wires. Gilbert was freaking out about it."

Lilli turned the blade in her hand, examining it. "My brother has an army knife, but it's not like this. This one is really sharp." She handed it back to Elizaveta.

"Well, sharp is how we need it. We never know when some rich kid might attack." She winced. "Shit. Sorry." She slid the knife back into her pocket and gathered up the dishes, standing from the table.

"I would never hurt anyone, you know." Lilli's voice was quiet again. "We're not all like that."

"You're nice. Roderich is nice. And I'm sure Vash is. But the other ones?" She sighed, dumping the dishes in the sink and turning on the water. "Not so much. Especially to us."

Lilli limped up to her and started drying off a dish, not saying anything else. Elizaveta swallowed an apology. It was the truth, no matter how much it hurt. The rich kids lived different lives than the Greasers. They were in different worlds.

She tried to change the subject. "How's your leg doing? Do you think you could make it home? It's a bit of a long walk."

Lilli didn't respond for a moment. Had she not heard her? But when Elizaveta looked over to her, Lilli seemed nervous; she was picking at her skirt again, her eyes fixed on the floor. "I... I don't know if it's safe for me to go back."

Oh. Poor girl. "You can stay here, if you would like. The school isn't too far from here. I have a shower upstairs; I could find something that'll fit you."

"I don't want to impose..."

Elizaveta smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. It's nice not being all alone here, after all. Come here, I'll show you to the shower."

Elizaveta had almost nothing that could fit Lilli. She was like a little fairy while Elizaveta was taller and anything but. She dug around in her drawer, finally finding a T-shirt and pajama pants. It would do. She hung them up on the bathroom door before zipping up her jacket and going onto the roof. The train whistled in the background, the stars twinkled above, the shower sounded like rain. The air was cold, easier to breathe, in and out, thin and dry. It was calm. She could hear faint flute music from the house across the street, and, focusing in on it, piano chords. She smiled to herself. Gilbert and Roderich were playing together. Ever since Roderich was assigned to accompany him in the school band class they were inseparable "friends". Gilbert insisted that was all they were, but Elizaveta could see there was more.

The very end of the street used to have two vacant houses, but someone had moved in lately. Elizaveta didn't know who it was; they didn't bother the Blackbirds and the Blackbirds wouldn't bother them. After the last two houses, there was a thin strip of trees before the train tracks. The train would rush by once in the morning and once at night; it would serve as her alarm every day.

The shower turned off. The music stopped. The train's whistle faded off into the distance. Elizaveta opened her eyes. This was strange. This was too quiet.

And then there was a gunshot. A scream. Another.

Silence.

In seconds Elizaveta's switchblade was out and she was putting the screen back in the window, closing it and pulling down the blinds. She ran downstairs, locking the door.

"Is this normal?"

Lilli's voice was tiny, her arms around herself, backing into the wall. She was scared. She was scared a lot, but then again, she wasn't used to this.

"No." Elizaveta put as much conviction as she could into her voice. She didn't need to tell Lilli how often it really was. She didn't need to mention how close the gunshot sounded. When Lilli still was afraid, Elizaveta went over to her and took her hand. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you."

Lilli just nodded and squeezed Elizaveta's hand.

They stood in silence for a while, Elizaveta's ears trained on any sound she could hear outside. It was unnaturally quiet outside. She didn't think that whoever fired the gun would come around again, but she wouldn't take any chances.

Lilli broke the silence. "Why are you so nice to me?" She wouldn't look up from the ground, and her free hand was clenching the hem of her shirt.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Lilli shrugged. "I'm a rich kid."

What Lilli was saying made perfect sense. That's how Elizaveta should be thinking. Natalia would have never helped a rich kid. "But before being rich, you're a person. And you're an injured person."

Elizaveta didn't know if it was right. But when Lilli looked up to her and smiled, it didn't matter. Lilli was a kind person, and damn the rest. She deserved kindness just as much as anyone else.

"I'll keep watch down here if you want to sleep. There's a sofa in my room. If you need anything, just yell and I'll be up."

Lilli nodded again and withdrew upstairs. Elizaveta sighed, falling into a chair. She put her switchblade back into her pocket and buried her face in her hands. What was she doing? She liked Lilli. That wasn't good. Lilli was a rich kid, the enemy.

This was only for a night. Lilli would have her house and her family to return to after this and they would never meet again. Elizaveta was stuck here.

Time passed slowly. Elizaveta stared at the wall, checked the clock, flipped out her switchblade and back. Ten o'clock. Ten-thirty. At twelve, she would go to sleep.

The unnerving silence outside was abruptly ended by footsteps running up to her house, onto her porch. Someone pounded on the door. "Elizaveta! Elizaveta!"

She flipped out her switchblade and opened the door a crack, peering out. Lovino and Antonio. It was strange to see them together; she never had before. Lovino tended to avoid anyone from the Bad Touch Trio like the plague. She opened the door further, noticing Lovino's ashen complexion and heaving chest. "What happened?"

Lovino couldn't speak. He was almost hyperventilating, looking as if he would fall over any second. Antonio put his hand on Lovino's shoulder. "Breathe. It's alright."

Cold fear started creeping up her throat. Inhale, exhale. Air like knives. Doorknobs like ice. "What happened?" She could only repeat herself, forcing out the words past the iceberg in her throat. She couldn't be afraid. She had to be strong.

"A body-" Lovino inhaled sharply. "Shot. To death. On the train tracks.

* * *

_Notes-_

_The Greaser/Rich Kid conflict was something that really went on in the 50s. There was a large divide between the rich and the poor during this time._

_Queen- Rich/Popular girl- slang_

_Señor Wences was a Spanish ventriloquist. He was very popular through the fifties and into the sixties, often appearing on the Ed Sullivan show. /watch?v=AJiYZ6QIAtY  
_


	2. Chapter 2

Elizaveta had heard gunshots before. She had been to rumbles before, she heard screams in her neighborhood before.

She had never seen someone die.

She was moving before she realized it, running upstairs to tie up her hair. It was long and could get in the way far too easily. When she opened her door, the first thing she noticed was Lilli, curled up on the couch, fast asleep. She looked like an angel. Elizaveta tiptoed over to her dresser and got her green ribbon, tying up her hair. Before she left, she got a blanket and draped it over Lilli. Her gaze lingered on Lilli's sleeping face for a moment longer before she turned around and joined Antonio and Lovino downstairs.

The air outside was colder at night. She zipped up her jacket as she followed them to the train tracks, Lovino hanging back a few steps.

Elizaveta was already trying to figure the murder out. No one in her gang would ever kill- they didn't even have guns. Then, there was the man at the end of the street. He was closest to the train tracks. He would have seen something.

"Do you know who lives in that house?" Elizaveta gestured to it as they passed.

"I've only seen him briefly. I think his name was Hercules. Something Greek like that."

Hercules could have a gun. She doubted it, living in this neighborhood, but she could never be sure. "Let's stop by at his house after this."

Lovino stopped at the edge of the trees. "I'll wait here. I don't want to see it again."

Antonio looked concerned, but he only nodded and motioned for Elizaveta to follow him. She weaved around the trees, coming out at the edge of the tracks. There, clear as day, was the boy she saw harassing Lilli earlier.

He was laying on the tracks, red-blood turned silver-white in the moonlight, red hair brown and dull. His body lay just at the edge of the tracks on the grass.

Elizaveta swallowed hard, fighting back the nausea that rose at the sight. She had never seen a dead body before. She closed her eyes, gathering her courage. She could do this. It was just another injured person. She dealt with injured people every day. She took a deep breath and walked closer, trying to examine his wounds. She wouldn't know what bullet wounds looked like, but she could at least tell if he was killed by a knife.

Antonio stopped her, lightly touching her shoulder, before crouching down and peering at the boy. "He was definitely shot." He gestured at a dark blotch his jacket. "Once in the stomach, I think. It exits in the back here, see? Maybe elsewhere. There's a lot of blood."

Elizaveta leaned forward, trying to see what Antonio was. The boy's jacket was covered in blood, and his hair was matted with it. Just another injury. "Have you seen bullet wounds before?"

Antonio didn't respond, standing back up. He wiped his hands on his jeans as if they were dirty. "Let's get back to Lovino, and then to Hercules."

Lovino was just where they left him, though slightly more agitated. Elizaveta led the way to Hercules' house, knocking at the door. It almost immediately flew open, a disgruntled brunet leaning out and looking her over. "Can I help you?"

"Are you Hercules?"

The man narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "I am Heracles, but I don't know any Hercules. Why don't you call me Zeus next time instead?" He yawned, as if his sass had tired him. He spoke slowly, like every word was an effort.

"Alright_, Zeus_." Lovino crossed his arms and glared at Heracles. "You live near the train tracks. There's been a murder. You heard the gunshots."

Heracles just looked bored now. "Is that what it was?"

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Just tell us what you saw, vleeta. I don't have all day."

Heracles slowly looked up to the moon, then back at Lovino. "You don't have all day, because it's night time. Are we done? My cats need me."

"Wait." Antonio cut into the conversation. "Because you live near where the kid was shot, you could have seen something. That's why we're here. This isn't normal for this neighborhood, so we're concerned. Could you help us?"

Heracles shrugged nonchalantly. "Why not." He opened the door further, gesturing for them to come in.

Elizaveta entered, leaning against the wall. A kitten nipped at her toes, another cat was curled up on a couch, and a third Heracles had picked up and was currently rocking like a baby. "These are my little ones."

"...Okay." Elizaveta glanced around the room, trying to find anything out of place or strange. It was just as bare and shabby as her house. "What did you see?"

The cat nuzzled Heracles' cheek. He kissed its forehead. "I didn't see anything. I heard a gunshot and hid the children."

This man was eccentric, to say the least. "And after that?"

Heracles paused. "No, I did see someone. He had light hair. I think it was blond, but it almost looked white. He ran."

Gilbert was the first to come to mind- but it could never be him. He could be an annoying bastard, but he could never kill anyone. Ever. It wasn't someone in the Blackbirds.

Lovino looked up, eyes widening. "Ivan."

The leader of Winter, rumored to be ruthless and cruel. Natalia's older brother, all platinum-blond hair and cold eyes and icy smiles. His weapon of choice was an iron pipe. He constantly fought with Mathias and Lukas, the leaders of the Vikings. They could definitely have guns. Elizaveta would be surprised if they didn't.

"What could we do?" Antonio sighed. "We can't go on Winter's turf. Ivan is probably the most protected member."

"No." She wasn't sure how Natalia would take this. Elizaveta could be betraying her trust. But whoever killed that boy was out there and nothing was safe. "I have a friend, Natalia. Ivan's little sister. I could ask her about this."

Lovino snorted. "You think she'll help us when we're going to interrogate her brother?"

"We don't necessarily have to tell her that we suspect Ivan." Antonio stood. "Just tell them that we saw something involving the Vikings and wanted to ask him about it. She'll allow it then." He extended his hand to Heracles. "Thank you."

Heracles shifted the cat to his shoulder before shaking Antonio's hand. He then wordlessly opened the door.

When Elizaveta got home her father was nowhere to be seen. She sighed, taking down her hair and going upstairs. Lilli was still fast asleep. She really did look adorable in Elizaveta's oversized pajamas, and asleep, there wasn't a trace of fear on her face. Elizaveta grinned to herself, putting the ribbon on her nightstand and laying down without even changing.

She was asleep before the hit the pillow.

.

The train whistle cut into Elizaveta's dreamless sleep. She blinked her eyes open slowly, rubbing them as she sat up, checking the time. Six-thirty, just on time. She forced herself to get out of bed. "Lilli. Rise 'n shine." She yawned, grabbing her towel, looking her clothes up and down. She wouldn't have to change her jacket. It would save her time and it wasn't like anyone would notice. She took another shirt and pants off of her dresser. "Lilli." Elizaveta turned to the couch, ready to wake her up.

The couch was empty. Elizaveta wasn't prepared for the sudden disappointment that followed; she ignored it.

The blanket was neatly folded along with her pajamas, a small note on top of them. Elizaveta picked it up and unfolded it.

_Elizaveta,_

_Thank you for all that you did last night. You are a very nice person and your food was delicious. I can't impose on you any more, though, so I'm leaving before you wake up. Thank you again._

_-Lilli_

Elizaveta didn't know what she felt and wasn't keen on finding out. She needed to forget Lilli. Now that she was gone, it was obvious. Lilli was rich and what happened the night before was a one-time occurrence. Elizaveta would not allow herself to feel anything more for her- they were in different worlds. Some gaps just weren't meant to be bridged.

Elizaveta opened the drawer to her nightstand and put the note inside. There was nothing wrong with keeping it, after all. She got back to getting ready for school, pushing the note and everything else with Lilli from her mind, planning out her day. She had about an hour before her shift at Rocking Johnny's started. That was enough time to get Antonio and go to Ivan. She nodded to herself, turning on the shower. That's what she would do.

Through the rest of the day, Elizaveta planned what she would ask Ivan, what she would tell Natalia, what she would do if Ivan reacted negatively. Natalia would protect her, but she wasn't sure what would happen after that. She sighed, looking around her classroom. Lukas and Mathias were both absent, leaving just Tino at their table. That was strange.

Elizaveta shook her head, trying to concentrate. Ivan might not even be the killer. They were basing everything off a vague description, but then again, they were desperate. If this person killed once, he would kill again.

She couldn't help herself from looking for Lilli throughout the day. Even if she had just met her, Elizaveta was concerned. She left in the middle of the night, injured, so soon after a murder had happened... Elizaveta cut off the thought then and there. No matter how kind Lilli seemed, they lived in different worlds. It disturbed her how many times she had to remind herself of that.

She still caught herself scanning the hallways for a familiar flash of gold or listening for a quiet laugh when she was packing up her things. Maybe it was okay for her to worry; even if Lilli could knock someone out with a punch, it was late and she was hurt. It was only human for her to worry. With that mindset, she took a deep breath and started walking toward the music section of school. That was a second home to Roderich, and wherever Roderich was, Vash would be.

Just as she expected, Roderich was standing just outside the band room with Vash. Gilbert leaned against the wall in what Elizaveta assumed he thought was a cool pose, his flute case dangling from his finger. Roderich stood completely straight, and looking at him now, Elizaveta could believe he wore a corset.

Vash looked quite a bit like his sister, with the same blond hair that hung just above his shoulders and bright green eyes.

"Eliza!" Gilbert grinned when he saw her and raised his hand in greeting, drawing the attention of Roderich and Vash.

She was about to go over to them when she saw Lilli outside of the choir hall, heard her laugh, and suddenly without thinking she turned around and ran out of the hallway. Lilli was alright, and that was good, that was wonderful, but Elizaveta couldn't stop or turn around. She was so happy when she saw Lilli, like they were friends, and that didn't make any sense. She leaned against a wall and tried to catch her breath, completely aware of the strange looks she was getting. At least she had stopped running.

Elizaveta squeezed her eyes shut and tried to even her breathing. This was completely strange, this was unlike her; she was a rational person. It didn't make sense why she reacted like that. It didn't make sense why her mind blanked or that she was nervous.

Maybe it was for the better. She and Lilli weren't meant to have met at all. What would she have even said, anyway?

"Elizaveta?"

Elizaveta straightened and turned toward the voice. Natalia stood before her, concern on her face. Elizaveta shook her head and laughed. This whole thing was ridiculous. "I just felt a little dizzy, that's all."

Natalia looked unconvinced, crossing her arms. She didn't say anything more. "You have been distracted today."

"Actually..." Elizaveta shifted uneasily. "Something happened last night."

Natalia glanced at the people nearby before leaning in. They were out of earshot and it was definitely too loud for anyone else to hear. "Tell."

Elizaveta tried to swallow but realized her throat had gone dry. The image of that boy shot dead on the tracks was still clear as day in her mind. "Someone was murdered on my turf last night."

Natalia's eyes widened in alarm. "Who?"

"We don't know. It just happened, and Lovino found the body..." She took a shaky breath. "It was bad."

Natalia's hand brushed over hers, the touch comforting. "I'm sorry."

Elizaveta tried to push the memory from her mind and mustered up a weak smile. "It's alright." She was about to change the subject and ask about talking to Ivan when she noticed something on Natalia's arm. It was knit and brightly colored- a bracelet. "Oh, that's pretty," She said, gesturing to it.

Natalia smiled. "I made it last night. Ivan helped me, and it took until eleven to finish. I kept messing up."

Ivan didn't kill the boy. Ivan was innocent. Elizaveta was shocked by how relieved she was; she didn't want to incriminate the brother of her best friend. But that made another problem arise. They didn't know who the killer was. It could be anyone, and they could murder again. It was a chilling thought.

"Elizaveta!"

Elizaveta turned at the sound of her name. Ludwig, Gilbert's brother was running toward her, note in hand. He hardly looked anything like his brother. His hair blond and neatly slicked back, his eyes deep blue. He was also taller and more muscular and incredibly modest- it was strange to think he and Gilbert were related at all.

He was followed by Lovino's younger brother, Feliciano, who had wild brown hair a shade lighter than Lovino's and amber eyes. He was almost constantly around Ludwig.

Ludwig reached her and held out a piece of scrap paper, breathless. "Someone left this in Gilbert's locker. We don't know who."

Elizaveta took the paper and unfolded it, reading the neat writing on the page.

"If you don't bring Heracles to the park by 8:00 tonight, your musician will die."

The breath was stolen out of her lungs, her vision darkened, she fell unsteadily against the lockers behind her. Roderich wasn't safe, Heracles knew something, where was Roderich, Heracles lied. Roderich wasn't safe. The note was torn out of her hands but she couldn't stop it, hands were on her shoulders, someone was telling her to breathe. She closed her eyes and focused on forcing air in and out of her lungs. It was Natalia who was telling her to calm down, it was her hands on Elizaveta's shoulders. When Elizaveta opened her eyes, she saw Natalia was the person who had taken the note, now crumpled in her hand.

"Who sent this?" Natalia's voice was calm and controlled, but Elizaveta saw her hand curl into a fist around the note.

"We don't know, but Gilbert turned really white, whiter than he normally is at least, and he ran off. I think he went to the music room, which is where Roderich normally is." Feliciano fidgeted from foot to foot, his vision darting between the two of them nervously.

Elizaveta was relieved at that. At least Roderich would have Gilbert to protect him. Gilbert wouldn't let anyone hurt the people close to him; especially not Roderich.

Natalia's hand brushed against her own. "This man is important to you, yes?"

Elizaveta had grown up with Roderich; she knew him as long as she could remember. She had loved him. "He's like a brother."

Natalia nodded with conviction, her eyes steely. "I will not let him be hurt. For you." She turned around. "I'm going to find them. Don't do anything stupid." She walked off, carrying herself with silent dignity.

Elizaveta only realized that once Natalia was gone that she had taken the note with her. It didn't matter since she remembered what it said, but it was strange. She shook her head slightly, trying to clear it and focus. She would just ask Natalia about it later. "The park. What park do you think it is?"

Ludwig gave an almost imperceptible shrug. "Maybe the one where the rumble happened?"

Elizaveta considered it. It would be well-known now, but it was a strange choice. "It's too far in the our turf. That wouldn't make sense; we could easily catch whoever sent that note."

Feliciano stared down at his hands, picking at his nails. He looked incredibly worried. "Maybe the other one. At the edge of our turf."

There was another park, half in the Viking's turf and half in theirs. Elizaveta had only been to it once or twice and it was almost always deserted. It was perfect. "You're right. That must be it."

That raised another question, though- was the blackmailer someone from the Vikings? And beside that, why would they gain from this?

Were they the murderer?

Elizaveta gathered her courage and took a deep breath. "I'm going to follow Heracles and stay hidden. I need to find out who's doing this." She felt inside her jacket pocket until her fingers hit the hilt of her switchblade, cold and reassuring. She would fight if she needed to. First, she had to go to Heracles. She checked her watch.

Half an hour to go before her shift started.

.

"You lied."

Heracles' face remained impassive. He sighed. "No, I didn't."

Elizaveta crossed her arms and glared at him. "If you didn't, why is someone after you?"

Heracles' expression still remained the same- his lack of reaction was impressive. He was slouched against the doorway lazily, his hands in his pockets, his face bored. He was the picture of indifference. "I don't know."

She let out a breath of frustration. "Then you'll have no problem going to the park with me later? Someone left a note saying they needed to see you, and it didn't seem friendly."

That inspired a reaction in Heracles. His eyes widened, but only for a moment, and only slightly. It was gone so soon Elizaveta wasn't sure she had seen it. He let out a short, angry breath, and raked a hand through his messy hair. It was the only sign of annoyance this entire time.

"I don't know." He said each word slowly through clenched teeth. "What I told you last night is the truth. I saw a boy with blond hair. He ran off after he saw me."

Elizaveta narrowed her eyes. "And that's all? You didn't recognize him? He didn't say anything?"

There was a long pause. Heracles eyes kept darting behind Elizaveta; she knew someone was moving into the vacant house across the street, but she wouldn't let herself be distracted.

Heracles finally cleared his throat and stared only at the other house. "He threatened me."

Elizaveta allowed herself to relax and took the edge of her voice. "What did he say?"

Heracles shrugged. "He would keep an eye on me. Kill if I told anyone."

Now this was getting somewhere. "Why?"

He closed his eyes and seemed to deflate, his brave front disappearing. He just looked tired. "I saw him shoot the kid. It happened twice, and then he threatened me with his gun. Then he took off." Heracles opened his eyes slowly, as if it hurt, and looked up at Elizaveta. "That's the entire truth of what happened."

For the first time, Elizaveta felt sympathy for him. She wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know what do say. "How old are you, Heracles?"

"Eighteen. Same as you."

He was in her school, in her grade. Why hadn't she noticed him before? "That boy is threatening us. He said that if you don't go to a park up north, he'll kill my friend." She averted her gave and tried to find a way to put it. "This doesn't concern you, I know. You don't even know my friend..." She swallowed hard. "I would be just a little bit behind you, and I have my switchblade. I wouldn't let him hurt you."

Fear was in his eyes, fear that lingered for longer than a moment. "He intends to kill me. He has a gun, Elizaveta."

Elizaveta flipped out her switchblade in a way she hoped looked confident. "And I won't let him."

Heracles looked slowly from the blade to her face. After a long moment, he gave her a tiny nod. "I'll see you later tonight."

.

Natalia wasn't at the diner during her shift, which was both strange and reassuring. If she wasn't there, she would be with Gilbert and Roderich. Elizaveta was distracted through the night, constantly glancing at the clock until six-thirty rolled around. She left as quickly as she could.

She first went to Gilbert's house to make sure that Roderich was there safely. She knocked on the door and waited.

A few minutes passed before Feliciano opened the door, face red and hair even more askew than usual. Elizaveta raised an eyebrow but said nothing about it. "Roderich is here, yes?"

Feliciano was rapidly trying to fix his hair, but at that he stopped mid-brush. "No." He simply looked confused. "Is he supposed to be?"

Elizaveta cursed and stepped back. If Roderich wasn't at Gilbert's house, he wasn't safe. The murderer could be anywhere. "Is Ludwig here?"

Ludwig cleared his throat and inched out a second later. His face was bright red and he almost seemed to be hiding. His normally neatly slicked back hair looked like it had been ruffled or had someone's hands through it; looking back at Feliciano, she could tell just what had happened. "Natalia came here not too long ago. She seemed angry. She told Gilbert and Roderich to come with her to Winter's turf- said they would be safer."

Elizaveta curled and uncurled a strand of hair around her finger, something she always did when she was thinking. Roderich should definitely be safe. With Gilbert and Natalia protecting him, no one could touch him. Natalia had promised nothing would happen to him, and so nothing would. "Did Gilbert bring his switchblade?"

Ludwig nodded and Feliciano continued speaking. "He looked really scared, too, and he was holding Roderich's hand, which is really weird because he's never done that before in front of us and he always says that he doesn't care for Roderich and that Roderich is a stuck up queen so it must've been serious." He had a special, rapid-fire way of talking that stumbled out in a continuous stream.

Elizaveta cut him off before he could say anymore. "Thank you very much, Feliciano. I'll see you tomorrow." She winked at them. "I won't interrupt you two anymore."

Feliciano gasped and Ludwig turned even redder, but Elizaveta was halfway down the street before they could say anything more.

.

Elizaveta was keeping a close eye on Heracles, following him as he reached the park. It was a bit of walk away from their neighborhood, enclosed by a forest and half a part of the forest itself. It was mostly forgotten.

Whoever sent that ransom note was either from the Vikings or was trying to make it look like they were. The park was mostly on the Vikings turf, and if they were from the Vikings, they were either stupid or impulsive. Both of those could be frightening in a murderer.

If the person who sent the note even was the murderer.

Elizaveta tried to clear her mind and focused on Heracles. He was leaning against a tree, hands in his pockets and his head back against the bark. He looked completely nonchalant; Elizaveta was honestly impressed.

She looked up to the sky, trying to judge the time. The sun had nearly and it was colder, which meant it was almost eight. Probably. She cursed under her breath, turning back to Heracles. She needed a watch.

"Elizaveta?"

She jumped, whirling around at her name. Standing there uncertainly was Lilli, leaning much more on her left leg than her right.

And suddenly, the breath was stuck in Elizaveta's throat, cold fear rushed through her veins burning hot and cold at once, she froze completely. "What are you doing here?!" She hissed, finally forcing something out.

Lilli looked taken aback. It took her a moment to respond. "I'm taking a walk. This park is near my house."

Elizaveta glanced behind her and saw someone was already talking to Heracles. Lilli was saying something else.

Her voice would be heard. Elizaveta grabbed her arm, covering her mouth and holding her close. "Shh."

She felt Lilli go ridged under her as the person looked toward them. Heracles wasn't leaning casually against the tree anymore; he was standing erect, his hands nervously balled into fists.

Elizaveta felt the air leave her lungs, like someone had punched her stomach. She couldn't look away from his blond hair or cold, cold blue eyes.

Lukas Bondevik.

Shock closed her throat and made her hands tremble. There was a long, tension-filled moment before Lukas turned back to Heracles and reached into his pocket.

Ever so slowly, a black handgun emerged, glinting in the last light of the sun.

Lilli gasped and Lukas spun around, pointing the gun toward the bushes were they hid. Elizaveta immediately flipped out her switchblade and held it in front of them. She was breathing hard and couldn't hold the knife steady, cold sweat rolling down the back of her neck.

"Don't kill him," Lilli breathed. "Please."

Lukas took another step toward them and Elizaveta saw his finger slide to the trigger. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion as he took another step toward them. The bushes didn't have any leaves yet; if he got any closer, he would see them. She was moving before she knew it, she didn't have time to think, all she could to was pull Lilli back frantically until she stumbled down into a ditch. Her eyes never left the slowly approaching gun, black and dull now that the sun had set.

Elizaveta fell on a branch and it snapped and the breath was stolen from her lungs and everything was happening too fast and her heart was pounding so hard it hurt and a gunshot tore through the air.

Elizaveta was so stupid. Why did she think this was going to work? Why did she think she was strong enough? Dammit, she knew that this could be the murderer!

And Lilli was in danger, too.

Suddenly, that's all that mattered. Lilli could get killed. Lilli could die.

Elizaveta leaned forward as Lukas' footsteps grew closer and whispered as quietly as she could. "Run. Go to my house and stay there."

Lilli's eyes were wide and afraid. The poor girl was shaking. "But what about you?"

Elizaveta shook her head. "Just go." Lilli stared at her for a long moment longer before she swallowed hard, nodded and ran forward just as Lukas reached the ditch, darting out of sight before he could see her. Elizaveta looked up to him defiantly, but when she met his gaze all confidence disappeared.

It was like looking into the eyes of a snake, cold, calculating, empty. A bruise stretched across his cheekbone. He pointed the gun at her, his face uncaring, his finger on the trigger.

Elizaveta had never been more afraid in her life. She was sick with it, her head was spinning, and she couldn't get enough air. She held up her switchblade uselessly in front of her.

And then Lukas laughed. It was unlike anything she had ever heard; short, barking, almost painful. "You really think you could do anything with that?"

Elizaveta couldn't speak. Her mind was completely blank and she was mortifyingly close to tears.

"Cat got your tongue?" Lukas crouched down and placed the gun on the ground, pointed away from them. "I'm not going to kill you. Not yet."

Elizaveta couldn't look away from the gun. Finally, a word came back to her. "Why?"

Lukas shrugged. "You and I aren't so different."

That was the most preposterous thing she had ever heard. "No."

"No?" Lukas' voice and face was so devoid of emotion it was terrifying. "We both have gangs. We both go to the same school." His eyes went from blank to piercing in seconds. "We both have tendencies to love someone of same gender."

Elizaveta froze at his last words. No one was supposed to know that. She wouldn't even admit it to herself. "You killed someone."

Lukas looked down to the knife in her hands. "And you wouldn't kill me just as quickly?" His gaze slid back up to her and he smiled. "Don't deny it. I can see you're just dying to."

Lukas was right. He was right about everything he was saying, and it terrified her. "What do you want?"

He stretched casually, and Elizaveta saw her opening. "A bargain."

Before Lukas could say anything else Elizaveta was lunging at him, knife pointed at his chest. Fear was flooding all her senses, she had to kill him, she had to get somewhere safe...

She didn't know how, but in a flash Lukas was on top of her, knees pinning her sides down, gun against her head, face mere inches from hers. Anger blazed in his eyes before he grinned and laughed. Hard. Almost maniacal. He leaned forward, still half laughing, the barrel of the gun pressed even harder into her head. He cupped her cheek gently with a too-cold hand. "I told you," He whispered almost endearingly, "we aren't different at all."

Elizaveta was almost hyperventilating. She tried to keep from crying, biting her lip so hard she tasted blood. She couldn't stop tears from welling up; frustrated, angry, terrified tears.

Suddenly, Lukas almost looked concerned. He wiped away her tears with his thumb and the pressure was relieved from her head. She saw him pocket the gun.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He sounded... Regretful. He sighed. "I like you quite a bit, you know."

She was just confused now. He sounded so genuine, but his words didn't match his actions; his knees were still digging into her ribs. She didn't respond.

"So much, in fact, that I'm not going to kill you." He picked up one of her curls and rolled it between his fingers. "Aren't you special?" Lukas looked down to her again and grinned in an innocent, almost childlike way. "But this will be our little secret. You can't tell anyone. Or else your little bird dies."

He saw Lilli. She was in danger now. She tried to sit up, but Lukas was too heavy. "Don't hurt her. Please."

Lukas lifted one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. "Then don't tell anyone. Simple as-"

He was cut off as Natalia jumped into the ditch, tackling Lukas and pinning him down, her knife to his throat. "You bastard!" A drop of blood rolled down his throat. "You goddamn bastard! I should kill you right now. I should!"

"Natalia?"

She spun around to Elizaveta. "This bastard's gang just attacked Winter and the Blackbirds at the same time. He ordered them to, and he wasn't even there! My brother was almost killed because of him!" She suddenly noticed Elizaveta's state of dishevelment and pressed the knife against Lukas' throat. "What did you do to her?"

When Lukas didn't answer, Natalia looked back up to Elizaveta, cold fury unlike anything she had ever seen before blazing in her eyes. "Go, Elizaveta. Back to your house. I will take care of this."

Elizaveta ran.

* * *

_Notes-_

_Vleeta (pronounced vleeka) is a Greek vegetable. From what I've heard, it isn't the tastiest._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Note- This is not an Outsiders AU. The Greasers were a real subculture made up of the working class in the 1950's, and conflict between them and the wealthier adolescents occurred during this time. Except for the characters, this story is purely original.**_

* * *

Elizaveta did not stop running until her legs felt rubbery and her chest burned, and then some after that. She didn't stop running until she was in her house and her door was locked. And then she fell against the wood, her breath burning in her lungs and her knees threatening to give in, and broke.

She tried to keep her composure. She wouldn't cry. She didn't cry when her mother left her, and she wouldn't fall to pieces now. She repeated that over and over, but she couldn't stop a trembling sob. After that, it was like a dam broke.

Elizaveta fell to her knees, pressing her hand hard against her mouth to keep from making any noise. She had been so scared. She had never been more terrified in her entire life. She was truly afraid she as going to die. She wasn't sure if she as crying from the fear or from the relief, but once it started, it wouldn't stop.

It was only then that she noticed Lilli standing at the stairwell. Elizaveta immediately wiped at her eyes and tried to regain some semblance of composure. Greasers didn't cry in front of rich kids. The only things Greasers ever were before them were cool, calm, and tough.

Lilli walked toward her, though, her face sad. Elizaveta looked away; she didn't want any pity, especially not a rich kid's. But then, Lilli knelt down and embraced her gently. "You're safe. Thank God."

Elizaveta didn't know how to respond. Lilli was a rich kid, and they were in different worlds. She wasn't supposed to be so kind, so gentle, so understanding. Elizaveta wasn't supposed to like her as much as she did. Greasers and rich kids couldn't be friends.

But Elizaveta was falling to pieces, and this was just what she needed. So she leaned into Lilli's embrace and closed her eyes. "I was so scared. I thought I was going to die."

Elizaveta was never an open person. That she even said anything was surprising. She was half out of her mind with fear, though, and she managed to not say anything more.

Lilli held her until she stopped shaking and tears stopped threatening to fall. She stepped back, her eyes downcast, her voice quiet. "Thank you for protecting me again. You've done so much for me."

Elizaveta looked at her; her smallness, her fragility, and felt a rush of protectiveness. "If you need help, just come to me."

Lilli looked up to her, a tiny smile upon her lips. "We should stick together, you and I. What with everything that's happened." The smile fell. "Lukas is the murderer, correct?"

Elizaveta at first was going to tell the truth, but then she looked at how delicate Lilli was. Even if she could knock out Gilbert with a punch, she was small, and she might not be able to defend herself if the time came. It most definitely would if Elizaveta told. "I don't know."

Lilli furrowed her brow. "Everything points to that, though. The gun, that he fired it so readily, that he wanted to talk to the only person who witnessed it. He was ready to kill."

Elizaveta suddenly felt cold, Lukas' words echoing through her head. "We aren't different at all." She was ready to kill, too. She swallowed hard before shaking her head again. "Maybe Heracles was involved in gangs before and got on Lukas' bad side. They could have just been discussing something he didn't want anyone else to hear."

Lilli shook her head. "I've spoken to Heracles. He's in one of my classes.

He couldn't care less about it, and he's asleep half the time. I can't see him being a part of any of this."

Elizaveta searched quickly for something else. She hated lying like this, but she couldn't risk Lilli's life, even if each of her words felt like acid in her mouth. "Why would Lukas be so far down here? He's a rich kid. It doesn't make sense."

Lilli put her hand to her mouth, thinking. After a moment, she sighed. "You have a point. This is going to be hard. We can't turn him in to the police because we aren't certain, but he's an obvious threat otherwise."

Elizaveta's breath caught. Lilli was right- she could just turn him in. This whole thing would be over with.

But when she thought of the consequences, her blood turned cold. She was possessed with the irrational fear that Lukas would find out. He knew so much about her; it was like he had spies everywhere. If he found out, Lilli died.

Everything was going in circles. Lilli tapped her finger against her lips, thinking. After a moment, she looked up to Elizaveta again. "This is rather difficult. You have a telephone, correct?" At Elizaveta's nod, she continued. "Let me give you my number. Call me if anything happens." She glanced around the room. "Do you have any paper?"

Elizaveta scavenged up a notepad and a pen. Lilli tore out the sheet and handed it to her. When she stepped back, she was suddenly shy again. She walked toward the door and stopped right before it. "Good luck. I should leave you alone now. I'm sorry you had to protect me again."

Before Elizaveta could say anything else, Lilli left.

As soon as she was gone, Elizaveta cringed. Everything was going wrong. She didn't want to lie. She absolutely hated lying, but she didn't see another choice. She let out a breath of exasperation, pulling her hair out of its ponytail. She would just go to sleep. Everything would be better in the morning.

There was a knock at her door. She shoved her hair tie in her jacket pocket and stormed over to the door. She didn't want to deal with any more drama today.

When she opened the door, however, Antonio stood awkwardly there. He had a black eye and his knuckles were bruised. "Hey. My mom kicked me out after she saw this." He gestured to his eye.

Elizaveta immediately ushered him in, asking him if he needed anything and getting him a pillow and blanket for his customary makeshift bed and ice for his eye. Antonio's mother was short-tempered and this was a common occurrence. Antonio was the nicest kid; every time it did, it made her mad. At least it wasn't as often as it was the year before- and at least it was her house instead of a jail cell.

Once he was settled, she went to her room. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep now, so she went over to her window and popped off the screen. She sat on the tiles of her roof and took a deep breath, looking up at the stars. She lost herself in their cold beauty, and she thought. She thought of her mother, a hazy recollection of her stomping out of the house a last time with a suitcase. Then, her father- working hard, never home- and lastly- of a small girl with warm arms and a tiny voice.

_"You're safe. Thank God."_

.

Elizaveta tugged a weed out of the dirt, tossing it aside with all the others. She grabbed at another, careful to avoid the tiny sprouts that were her flowers. Her garden was full of geraniums, lilies, resuscitating hydrangea bushes, and other such plants starting to come alive again after winter. The frosts had finally stopped, and the ground was ready to be planted.

She hummed under her breath as she got at another weed. This was her favorite time of year. She loved tending to the plants, watching them grow under her care, admiring the beauty of life. She had gardened for as long as she could remember.

She pulled up the last weed and stood, retrieving the fertilizer and watering can. She was nearly finished with the watering when a black car rounded the corner and drove into their neighborhood. Elizaveta didn't recognize it, and it was much too nice to be a Greaser's car. She set her watering can down slowly and watched it go past.

It stopped near the end of the street and Elizaveta followed it, keeping a safe distance away.

Two men in suits stepped out. One stood at the door of his car, looking around at the neighborhood, soon joined by the second. He took a step forward, but he didn't get far before Francis came out of his house and approached him.

"Well, if it isn't Arthur Kirkland! We meet again!" His voice was full of mocking excitement.

The man he spoke to raised his head and looked down at him. "Francis Bonnefoy. Still here in the slums, I see." His voice was haughty and slightly accented, sounding British.

"What brings you to the slums, '_sweetheart_'?" Francis raised one eyebrow, mimicking his accent on the last word.

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Nothing that concerns you, _'mon petit chou'_."

The other man with him seemed to realize something. His eyes widened behind his glasses. "Oh, so this is that Francis Bonnefoy?"

Arthur scoffed. "Alfred, what other person in this down has such a ridiculous name?"

Francis grinned. "You've told people about me?"

Arthur glared at him. "Only the most terrible of things. Now, would you kindly move? I have a killing to investigate."

Francis stepped aside, and they proceeded past him to Heracles' house. As soon as they were out of earshot, Elizaveta turned to him. "_Sweetheart_?"

"I knew him a while back. Lasted a week. Ended badly." Francis watched after them. "We've been something of rivals ever since." He shook his head. "A killing, though? That is rather intense. Antonio told me about the dead body."

Elizaveta gave Francis a curious look. They often didn't get along, and when they did, it didn't last long. She wondered just what she didn't know about him. She sighed. "It was quite something, the body. Do you suppose they suspect Heracles?"

He shrugged. "It's valid. He's the closest to where the killing occurred, and they probably think it was over some gang fight or something. But, then again, you could be a suspect, too." He took a step back, waving. "I have things to attend to. It's been real."

Elizaveta looked back to Heracles' house, the air suddenly feeling much colder. She was innocent. Despite what Lukas might think, she could never kill someone. How could they suspect her?

She was the only one who knew who the murderer was, though. She could tell them it was Lukas. There was a chance that he wouldn't find out it was her. She ran back to her house, picking up the telephone and digging around for the paper Lilli gave her the day before. "Operator, put me through to Crestview 4-6066." She tapped her fingers impatiently as the waited, glancing back at the door. She expected the detectives to come through the door any second. Couldn't they smell the evidence on her? Couldn't they tell she knew?

"Hello?"

The voice was male, the response gruff. Elizaveta recognized it as Vash. "Hello. Is Lilli there?" She spoke with a higher, sweeter voice. "Tell her it's Elizabeth."

There was a pause. Elizaveta's frustration grew, and she had to keep from gritting her teeth. This was taking too long.

Finally, he responded. "One moment."

There was a shuffling sound, and then Lilli's voice. "Hey, Betty! How's it going?"

Elizaveta dropped the pretense. "It's me, Elizaveta. The police are here, and I think they're detectives."

Lilli's voice was still light and airy. "Oh, what does he want now?"

Elizaveta realized Vash or Lilli's other family might be listening in; that's why she was acting the way she was. It would be disastrous if they found she associated with a Greaser, after all. Elizaveta felt her stomach sink at that thought, but she ignored it. "They're going to be questioning us about the murder. They-"

She was cut off by a knock at the door, and everything seemed to get colder. "They're here. Meet me later. Come to the diner, Rocking Johnny's- I have a shift there later, starting at one." She hung up and swiftly crossed to the door, opening it.

Arthur doffed his hat at her. "Good afternoon. I believe we are already acquaintances?"

Elizaveta nodded. "What are you here for?"

"Mister Karpusi said that you had seen the body. Is this true?"

Elizaveta nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes, it is." She took a deep breath. She thought of Lukas; his icy eyes, his too-light hair and too-fair skin, the coldness of his gun against her head. And then, Lilli; the warmth of her laugh, the comfort of her arms. She took a chance. "And I believe that I may have seen the murderer as well."

"I'll need to ask you a few questions, then..." In the middle of his sentence, Elizaveta was distracted by the clattering of a stone hitting the ground. When she looked to the sound, she froze. The air left her lungs, the ground heaved beneath her feet, her vision went dark.

Because there, half in shadow, was Lukas Bondevik.

Every nerve in her body burned with the need to run. Her breath was thick and heavy in her throat, her heart pounded, the world started spinning. It didn't make sense, Lukas wasn't supposed to be this far out, he was a rich kid, Elizaveta was supposed to be safe here, Lukas needed to get away, to disappear...

As she watched, he raised his hand to his head, slowly pointing two fingers against it. The shape of a gun. And then he mouthed a single word, clear as day, and it seemed to echo through Elizaveta's mind and reverberate through the air.

_"Remember."_

And then he ran and Elizaveta was chasing him and the detectives were with her and he ran like he was on fire, ran harder and faster than anyone Elizaveta had ever seen, like he wasn't human and he just kept running, past Heracles' house, past the trees, up the train tracks.

He kept running, and Elizaveta kept following.

For a while on the tracks he was ahead of them, but Elizaveta knew it wouldn't be for long because they had to catch him now. He was guilty and she was the witness, he would be arrested for murder, they would realize this wasn't just a killing. This whole thing would be over and life would go back to normal.

The three of them followed him all the way back to a much nicer neighborhood. Elizaveta and Alfred were ready to charge him, but Arthur held them back. "In the forest, quick."

They followed his instruction, Elizaveta still keeping her eye on Lukas. He slowed down to a walk, taking a few steps before he looked back.

Arthur leaned forward. "Do you recognize him?"

Elizaveta recognized him, all right. But suddenly, it was like his eyes bored into her, even from that distance, and her mouth went dry. "He's too far away."

Lukas paused, seeming to search the around him. He turned and entered his neighborhood with an overconfident stride. It seemed to swallow him whole. Disappointment seemed to swallow Elizaveta at the same time.

_You coward. You goddamn coward._

He was so close, and she just let him slip through their fingers. She could even turn to Arthur and tell him, right then and there. But she couldn't. All she could think of was the gun against her head, of Lilli...

She couldn't even look at Arthur as he stood. He, however, was undeterred. "We're another step ahead."

That was strange. They had just let Lukas go. If anything, they were in the same place. "What do you mean?"

Arthur took out a notepad, jotting something down. "Well, we have an idea of his appearance, and we know where he lives now, presumably. He did look wealthier."

"Isn't there a gang in this neighborhood, too?" Alfred asked.

Elizaveta nodded. "Yes, the Vikings."

Arthur raised his eyebrows and fixed his piercing gaze on her. "Tell me the members of this gang."

Elizaveta listed them off easily; after all, she saw them every day in her math class. It was such an absurd thought- she was just a few seats away from a murderer every day.

"And has... Your gang fought with them?"

Elizaveta furrowed her brow. "Yes, but the kid who died we don't know. We don't know why he was so far out near our turf or nothing. He isn't one of us."

"Or anything," Arthur corrected, not looking up from this notepad.

Elizaveta felt a small flare of irritation at that. Her English was decent and, for a Greaser, it was better than most. Still, she repeated it under her breath. _Or anything._

Arthur flipped his notepad closed. "Alright, Miss..."

"Hérderváry. Elizaveta."

Arthur nodded. "Miss Hérdeváry. Could you show us back to your neighborhood?"

Elizaveta turned and waved them toward her, leading the way back to the grass and along the tracks. Along the way, they continued to question her. It was the normal- what had she seen, who had she been with, things like that. She hinted at Lukas as often as she could. Every time she didn't outright tell them who the murderer was, she hated herself a little more.

When they left, Elizaveta watched them go, fiercely hoping that they would find Lukas and apprehend him. She just wanted it to be over.

She tried to ignore that it was her fault it wasn't.

She returned to her house, picking up the abandoned watering can and finishing the watering. When that was done, she sat at the edge of the flower beds, her fingers brushing against the soil and the waxy sprouts. "Come on," she whispered. "Grow."

The plants didn't change, but then again, Elizaveta wasn't expecting anything. She sighed, pulled her hair out of her hair tie, and started working through the snarls with her fingers. It was getting close to one, and she would have to look presentable soon.

She went back in her house, finding a hairbrush and her uniform. She tried her hardest to look professional at work and not at all like a Greaser. She was almost ashamed of her background.

She didn't always think being a Greaser was bad. It was just a fact of life, like her green eyes. Sure, she was poorer, but that never bothered her. Not until Gilbert was jumped the first time.

Even now, five years later, she still flinched at the memory. Gilbert was such a softhearted, happy kid all through her childhood. It all changed after that. She couldn't even help him. She was too late.

Ever since then, he never left without his switchblade. He, Antonio, and Francis made a reputation for themselves after that. It was half rumors, but they spread, and the Bad Touch Trio came into existence. Antonio was the one who aided the most with that, and with him, they weren't rumors- but that was over, and Elizaveta never, ever wanted to remember that again.

Even to this day, Gilbert paled when a car slowed down near them, or when someone shouted at them from across the street. No one ever picked a fight with him after that, but he was still on edge.

All because Elizaveta wasn't quick enough to save him.

She drove the thoughts out of her mind, wetting down her hair and letting it dry naturally again. It never looked right after she brushed out the curls. She straightened her uniform a bit more before leaving to Rocking Johnny's.

She couldn't do anything about what had happened now. It was too late.

There was a bit of a walk to get to the diner. It was closer to the richer side of town, along with a few apartment blocks and the movie theatre.

When she reached the diner, Lilli wasn't there. Elizaveta refused to acknowledge she was at all disappointed and simply focused on getting to work.

It was ridiculous that she cared at all for a rich girl. She always hated the rich kids. They jumped Gilbert and got away with it; they got away with almost anything. They deserved everything they could get. She should turn Lukas in and let Lilli face the consequences- it's what any other Greaser would do.

But she couldn't. Lilli was innocent. She was the first rich kid Elizaveta ever knew personally, and she wasn't that bad. She was almost a friend. She gave Elizaveta her telephone number, even though she was a Greaser.

"Waiter!"

Elizaveta took a deep breath, trying to clear her head. She turned towards the voice and saw it was Lilli who called her. A smile broke out on Elizaveta's face before she could stop it. "You made it."

"Of course." Lilli pushed her menu forward and folded her hands in her lap. "I would like a strawberry shake and the news of what happened with the detectives, please."

Elizaveta scribbled down her order. "They just came and questioned Heracles. Then they came to me, and I was about to tell them about Lukas when I noticed..." She almost told her what happened. The truth. But Lukas' threat echoed through her mind, and she couldn't. "...Someone was watching me from behind Feliciano and Lovino's house." She tried her hardest not to remember. She kept a firm hold on her composure as she took another deep breath. "We chased him, but he was too fast. Arthur- the detective who seemed in charge- he said they gained something by finding out where he lived. And he went in your neighborhood."

Lilli looked at her, wide-eyed. "You must admit that it has to be Lukas now. That's the only thing that makes sense."

Elizaveta put her hands up defensively. "You're making assumptions." Before Lilli could say anything more, Elizaveta took a step back. "I'm working. I'll see if I can bring you your shake, but if not, good luck."

After Elizaveta served a few more tables and calmed herself down a bit, Lilli's shake was ready. No one else had taken it yet, so she did. When she got to Lilli's table, Elizaveta noticed she was writing something in a notebook. She set the tray down, placing the milkshake on the table. "What're you writing?"

Lilli finished her line before she said anything. Elizaveta noticed she wrote in neat cursive. "Nothing, really. Just a poem."

"You write a lot?"

She nodded. "Read, too. Things like The Catcher in the Rye, The Lord of the Flies..."

Now, reading was something Elizaveta was familiar with. She loved books and films and anything with a story. She leaned forward, grinning. "Have you ever read The Lord of the Rings? It's real good."

Lilli's eyes seemed to light up. "Oh, yes, that's one of my favorites! It's such an engaging, epic story. Have you ever read Alice in Wonderland?"

"No, I don't think so." An idea dawned on her- another way for her to see Lilli. Her smile widened. "Do you think you could lend it to me sometime?"

Lilli nodded enthusiastically. "It will be wonderful to have someone else who enjoys reading! I just annoy my brother when I talk about the things I read. I can't help it, I get so involved." Then, like a switch, Lilli withdrew. "Oh, I'm annoying you, too. I'm sorry."

Elizaveta was almost sad at the change. "No, you're fine. I love to read as well." She gathered up the tray and took a step back. "I'll be seeing you later, then."

"Wait!" Elizaveta paused. Lilli faltered, then continued. "Your hair. It looks pretty when it's down."

Elizaveta smiled again and waved. Lilli was such a kind person. And she liked reading, too.

And she was rich.

Reality set in. Lilli was a rich girl. They could never truly be friends. No matter how nice she was, no matter how much Elizaveta wanted it to be different, it wasn't.

For the rest of the night, she avoided Lilli's table and what she ordered until she left. All the while, Elizaveta repeated a phrase under her breath, like a mantra.

Some gaps just weren't meant to be bridged.

Despite her efforts, a thought sprang to mind that she desperately tried to suppress. Maybe Roderich was different; he had been with the Greasers since they were young and status and labels didn't matter. But he was a rich kid, and he had friends that were Greasers.

Maybe, just maybe, there was hope.

.

By the end of her shift, Elizaveta had reasoned with herself that it was alright to simply talk to Lilli; after all, there was no harm in that. She was in higher spirits toward the end of her shift, but quickly after, she was unsettled. She suddenly got the feeling something had was going to happen, and as time went on, it only increased. By the time she had finished, she needed to get out. Her instincts screamed at her to get going. The feeling that something was terribly wrong increased until it blotted out everything else, and she took off in a sprint toward her neighborhood. She didn't know what she was running to, only that it was urgent and desperate. She urged herself faster, ignoring the burning in her legs. She turned around the corner, almost to the neighborhood, and she skidded to a stop. Shock rushed through her veins, hot and burning. She could feel her heart pounding in her fingertips.

There, up against the fence were Lukas and Gilbert.

Gilbert's arm hung at his side at an awkward angle, his switchblade useless between his fingers.

Lukas' hands were around Gilbert's neck, and his eyes were cold and hard.

Elizaveta noticed something much, much worse.

Gilbert wasn't moving.

* * *

_Mon petit chou- literally 'my little cabbage'. Term of endearment in French._

_If you would like to read Lukas' side of things, there is a story titled Fly Away that is from his perspective._


	4. Chapter 4

A scream built up inside Elizaveta's throat. No, no, no. This isn't happening. Not again. She couldn't lose Gilbert, he was her best friend, she couldn't lose him...

"NO!" The scream that ripped out of her throat almost didn't sound like her own voice. "Let him go!" Suddenly, she was running toward Lukas, switchblade in hand. Everything was moving so quickly, she couldn't understand what was going on, the ground seemed to spin beneath her feet, she swung toward him, it missed completely. Gilbert had to be alright he had to be hadtobehadtobe she couldn't lose him, not now, she couldn't...

He whirled around, though, staring at her wide-eyed, his hands falling from Gilbert's neck, and that's all Elizaveta saw. Gilbert falling to the ground, coughing, gasping. Breathing.

Elizaveta only let herself feel relieved for a moment before turning back to Lukas. Her fear boiled over into dark, hot hatred. He was the first person she had ever truly hated. She whipped her switchblade out before her, staring at his throat. She wouldn't miss this time.

And then Lukas turned around and ran. She was tempted to run after him, but then Gilbert coughed again beside her and she snapped out of her thoughts, immediately falling to her knees. "Gilbert, Gilbert. Are you okay?"

He had nasty cuts on his face, blood dripped out of the corner of his mouth, and his shoulder looked dislocated, but that was all she could see. He was still catching his breath. He just groaned in response.

"Should I call a doctor? Are you alright?"

Gilbert forced an eye open, looking at her. He seemed to try to smile, but it came out more as a grimace. "I've been through worse."

Elizaveta swallowed hard, trying not to think of how true that was. "Your shoulder's dislocated, and I don't know if I can fix it right. I really should call a doctor."

Gilbert tried to sit up and winced. "Damn, what did he do? Did he break my ribs, too? No, call Roddy. He'll know what to do." He lifted his good hand to his lips, wiping at the blood. When he saw the blood, he groaned again. "Aw, man. I don't have the money for this. I won't need stitches, will I?"

As Gilbert spoke, the other gang members emerged almost as if they could sense something was wrong as well. Ludwig rushed to his side, and Gilbert looked at him weakly. "Will he be alright?"

Elizaveta gestured to his arm. "I don't know about that arm. Could you run back and call a doctor? Roderich, too."

Ludwig ran off before Gilbert could protest further. More of the Blackbirds were gathering, including Antonio and Francis. Lovino hung behind.

With the help of Elizaveta, they managed to carry Gilbert back to his house and laid him out on a chair. Elizaveta immediately saw to cleaning his wounds, trying to stop the bleeding. She was careful to avoid jostling his arm.

A few minutes after they arrived, Roderich rushed in. He was panting, his suit wrinkled and his hair askew. He looked as if he had run here from the rich side of town; he probably had.

"Who did this?!" His face was flushed red with anger, and his hands were balled into fists at this side. It was almost frightening. When he saw Gilbert's shoulder, his eyes widened and he ran over.

"Lukas. Lukas Bondevik." Elizaveta felt a surge of loathing just saying his name.

"He pulls this shit all the time, the son of a bitch. He and his boyfriend jumped me before," Lovino spat. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was the murderer."

Elizaveta went cold at that. Lukas could have murdered again today- he almost did. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to compose herself. Lovino was only making an assumption. He didn't know. Lilli wouldn't be endangered.

"Did you call a doctor?" Roderich's voice had lost its flame. He just sounded sad. He shook his head slightly. "I still can't believe Lukas is really like this..."

Gilbert grabbed Roderich's arm before he could move. "Wait. I don't have money for a doctor." He looked over to Antonio. "You had to fix your shoulder before, right? When you were in jail-"

"Yes, yes, I did." Antonio cut him off swiftly, taking a step closer to him. "If you really can't call a doctor, I can try."

He crouched down next to Gilbert and placed his hand on his arm. "Relax your arm completely and remain like that. Tell me if this hurts, all right?"

Elizaveta watched with morbid interest as Antonio bent Gilbert's elbow and started rotating his arm, stopping whenever Gilbert winced before repeating the process. Then, with a popping sound that was almost nauseating, Gilbert's shoulder was back into place.

Gilbert tentatively touched it before grinning. He sat up, turning to Roderich and flexing. "Look at these sick puppies."

Roderich didn't respond other than crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. "You act as if I haven't seen them before."

At that, Gilbert's face turned bright red. Before anything else could progress, Elizaveta cleared her throat, stepping forward. "Well! While your clothes are still securely not on the floor, I think the rest of us should leave."

Gilbert tried to stutter out a response, but Elizaveta was already herding out the others, rolling her eyes. Men were ridiculous sometimes.

.

The next week passed without notice. Outside of her math class, Elizaveta hadn't seen Lukas, and that was a relief. She saw Lilli once or twice in the hallways, but nothing more, and she was oddly disappointed with that. All in all, it was normal. She tended to her plants, the weather got warmer, Natalia visited her at the diner, Gilbert's shoulder healed- it was a nice break from the insanity of the past few days.

She was working her shift at Rocking Johnny's, keeping her eye on Natalia's table. She looked around once or twice for Lilli, but so far, there was nothing. She sighed, picking up another tray and taking it to the booth.

"Waitress!"

This time, Elizaveta immediately recognized Lilli's voice. She served the order as quickly as she could before turning around, feeling a grin already spreading across her face. She spotted Lilli at a booth tucked into the corner of the wall, and she immediately made her way over. "Hey, Lilli!"

Lilli held the same notebook from before in her lap. She smiled as soon as their gaze met. "Hello, Elizaveta."

"You're back again. Let me guess- strawberry shake?"

She nodded. "I also have some news about Lukas. Do you have a moment?"

Elizaveta glanced around at the restaurant. They weren't understaffed, and the diner wasn't especially full; they wouldn't notice. "What is it?"

"Mathias Køhler. Do you know him?"

He followed Lukas around everywhere, and he was obnoxious- it would be hard to ignore him. She nodded.

"I believe him and Lukas are together. As in, I believe they're..." She seemed to try to find the right word. "Queer. I saw them kissing by the train tracks the other day."

Elizaveta's mind reeled as she tried to process that. Lukas had mentioned he was homosexual before, but that he had a boyfriend was something entirely new. It was something she could use. "Thank you. That's very useful. I'll be back with your shake in just a moment."

As Elizaveta attended other tables, she considered just what Mathias meant. If Lukas truly cared about him, she would have a defense against him blackmailing her. She could hurt Mathias and even threaten to kill him. There was only one question that lingered in her mind.

Could she do it?

Could she really hurt an innocent person? Could she really kill someone?

Lukas was wrong- she wasn't a killer. She couldn't imagine hurting Mathias. He was just a loud, friendly kid. But maybe, just maybe, a threat like that could protect Lilli.

Elizaveta retrieved Lilli's order, slightly reassured. After all, it wasn't even certain that things would come to that. When she reached Lilli's booth, however, Lilli didn't say anything. She simply stared down at her notebook. Elizaveta was about to leave when she spoke.

"Sorry if that... Unsettled you." She doodled a flower in the corner of her page, not meeting Elizaveta's gaze. "I mean, it's strange that they're queer and all..."

Elizaveta was taken aback. "Oh, of course I'm not unsettled. I'm the last person that would be unsettled by that."

Lilli looked up to her then, and she seemed almost hopeful. She started to say something, but a song began to play from the jukebox, cutting her off. It was an average diner song that Elizaveta had heard before- the standard piano chords, a few background singers, and a crooning voice. Nothing impressive.

Lilli, however, immediately turned toward it, grinning widely. It was the biggest smile Elizaveta had seen on her before. "Oh, I love this song!"

Lilli leaned back, her eyes closed, and she began to sing.

_"You are my special angel..."_

Elizaveta had heard songs like this time and time again, and they never had any effect on her. She didn't understand why her chest seemed to tighten now or why her cheeks felt so warm.

_"Sent from up above..."_

For the first time, she noticed that Lilli had a faint dusting of freckles across her nose. When she opened her eyes and met Elizaveta's gaze, she noticed how green they really were.

_"The Lord smiled down on me, and sent me an angel to love!"_

Lilli laughed then, and Elizaveta felt her heart jump. She swallowed hard. Had Lilli always been so adorable?

"Oh, Elizaveta, have you ever seen the movie Bus Stop? I hear they're doing reruns at the movie show downtown."

For some reason, Elizaveta found it hard to respond. She cleared her throat, forcing out a response. "No, I haven't."

Lilli gasped. "Oh, we simply must! It's one of my favorites. Say, are you free this Friday?"

Elizaveta couldn't remember anything in specific she needed to do. Besides, she hadn't been to the theatre in ages, and going with Lilli would be better than anything else she had planned. "I think so."

"You have to come see it with me, then!" Lilli seemed to light up. "Marilyn Monroe is in it, and it's great fun!"

Elizaveta ran a hand through her hair. "Yes, well, there's something..."

Lilli immediately looked crestfallen. "What's that?"

Elizaveta struggled to find a way to word it. It was embarrassing; it forced her to admit how unfeminine she truly was. "I don't know how to do my hair, and I don't think I have any dresses." She wasn't even sure why it mattered. It was just the movie show. But for some reason, it did.

Lilli stared at her for a moment, and Elizaveta almost wanted to run away. Then, she smiled again. "I'll come an hour early or so, and I can show you. It's no big deal- I mean, we all learn sometime in life."

Lilli was such a kind person. "That sounds wonderful." Friday was just two days away. She was already excited.

"After you finish your shift, then?" When Elizaveta nodded, Lilli's smile grew. "I'll see you then."

Elizaveta nodded again and picked up her serving tray, still grinning like an idiot. As she it carried away, she paid attention to the music playing for the first time.

_"The smile from your lips brings the summer sunshine, tears from your eyes bring the rain..."_

.

The plants were growing, reaching toward the sun as the days turned warmer. Her lilies were awakening, the forget-me-nots were rejuvenating, the geraniums were growing taller. Elizaveta attended to it every day, watching over each flower's growth. It was going to be a good year for gardening. Soon, she would have a garden full of blooms.

It was Friday night, and Elizaveta was sitting in her garden again, admiring how well it was coming along. It was one of her favorite places- it was behind a row of bushes that cut her off from the rest of the world, leaving just her and her flowers.

Her shift had ended recently, and she was waiting for Lilli to arrive. The thought that she had likely reconsidered and wasn't coming at all crossed Elizaveta's mind once or twice, but she tried to ignore it. She was incredibly excited about the whole thing, and she desperately hoped Lilli would still show. It still concerned her that she cared so much, but it was only slight.

She had been to the theatre quite a few times before with Feliciano. In the summer, it was the only place with air conditioning, and everyone was dressed in their best. Greasers would often try to slip in and stay in the back as long as they could until they were kicked out. Elizaveta preferred to be honest and pay for her tickets, even if her nicest outfit was just a dress shirt and slightly cleaner pants. She was out of place there, but at least she wasn't breaking in.

"Elizaveta!"

She felt her chest tighten pleasantly at the sound of that voice. She turned around, grinning already, and saw Lilli emerge from behind the houses. She really had decided to come, and that made Elizaveta incredibly happy. "Hey, Lilli!" She patted the grass beside her. "Make yourself comfortable."

Lilli stepped around the flowers and shrubs, daintily sitting beside Elizaveta. She wore a mint green dress, the skirt of which she was currently smoothing out, and she carried a tote bag with her that she set on the grass.

Elizaveta gestured to it. "What have you got in there?"

Lilli smiled shyly. "Just the tools of the trade." She looked around at the garden with appraising eyes. "This is quite nice. Is it yours?"

Elizaveta nodded, smiling herself from the praise. No one ever really noticed her garden. "Do you know about flowers?"

Lilli beamed, and pointed to the clump of flower buds near them. "Those are forget-me-nots. Oh, and those are hydrangeas! They always stand out so much. And these..." Lilli trailed off, reaching forward and brushing her fingers lightly against the leaves of the buds nearest. "These are violets." She spoke so fondly, looking down at the plant with such warmth, that Elizaveta was captivated. "Do you know the meaning of the flowers? What each one represents?"

"Well, I have a book with all the meanings, but I haven't read through it."

Lilli looked back up to her, her smile still in place. "That's absolutely wonderful. I love things like that. Everything around you has a meaning, depth. It's like a storybook." Her eyes had gained a faraway look, and she gazed around the garden again before shaking her head slightly. "But that's just my rambling. The showing of Bus Stop is in about an hour and a half, so we should get to work."

Elizaveta led her to her room. Lilli immediately sat her before her desk, procuring a small mirror from the tote bag along with two dresses.

"I tried my best with these. You're a bit taller, and more... _Well-endowed_, so I'm not sure how well they'll fit." She laid them across the bed, one pale pink and the other deep blue with polka-dot pattern. Lilli stepped back, putting her hand to her mouth as she thought, looking between Elizaveta and the dresses. Elizaveta couldn't see herself in either, but then again, she couldn't remember the last time she wore a dress.

"The pink one would make your hair really stand out, but I feel like the blue one would look the best on you altogether." Lilli handed the blue dress to her. "Why don't you try that one first?"

Elizaveta took it into the bathroom and changed into it. It came to just below her knees. The top clung to her torso, and the skirt was pleated and loose. It cinched around her waist with a white belt.

She was unused to the way it was tight around her chest, the way that her legs were completely free. She had to admit that it was a bit more comfortable than her jeans and jacket. If she was going to go fully feminine, she might as well like it. After all, her goal was to look the least like a Greaser as possible.

She pulled her hair out of its green ribbon and placed it on the counter before she left back into her room. "How does it look?"

Lilli looked up from sorting the contents of her bag. Her face immediately turned pink, and her mouth dropped open. Elizaveta did a spin on impulse, and the fabric easily swirled around her. "I don't think it's half bad!"

Lilli continued to stare at her, her face even redder. "You should definitely wear dresses more often." She hastily cleared her throat. "I mean, well... Here, sit down, let me fix up your hair." She gestured to the chair.

As soon as Elizaveta was seated, Lilli started brushing through her tangle of curls. Her hair tended to be unruly, even when in a ponytail, and it was worse whenever she took it out of one.

"What I'm wondering is how you've gone seventeen years without a dress. I mean, doesn't your mother complain? Mine definitely would."

Elizaveta shrugged. "I sure have no clue." At Lilli's confused look, she sighed. "Well, my mom hasn't really been... Around. She left when I was young, and I haven't seen her since, so my dad has raised me, except he's never home and-" Elizaveta cut herself off abruptly. She hadn't even noticed the venom creeping into her voice. "God, that got depressing fast. Sorry."

Lilli shook her head. "No, no, I shouldn't have brought it up."

There was a moment of silence before Elizaveta tried to change the topic. "There's no end to your talents, huh? First you're a fighter, then you're a writer, and now you're a stylist."

Lilli blushed at that. "Well, I suppose so. Though, I can't say I'm a fighter at all."

Elizaveta raised her eyebrows. "Are you kidding? You knocked out Gilbert with that punch! If that's not impressive, I don't know what is."

Lilli smiled slightly, but she still looked unsure. "That was lucky. If you actually fought back, I would've lost very quickly. I don't have any endurance, and I'm not that strong."

"Hey, even if you're not strong, you can do hair. I can't do that."

Lilli giggled at that, and Elizaveta was fairly sure her heart burst. For some reason, she wanted to keep her laughing that tiny, perfect laugh. "You know, I'm starting to wonder about those stories of yours. Just what are they? The tale of a forbidden romance? An epic medieval saga? Or maybe..." She waggled her eyebrows. "The story of a duke who gently and passionately deflowers a maiden?"

Lilli's giggle turned to all-out laughter, and she had to stop what she was doing momentarily and lean on the table. "Most definitely not!"

Elizaveta couldn't stop herself from laughing as well. "Can I ever read them, then, or are they completely off limits?"

"We'll see." Still grinning, Lilli got back to fixing Elizaveta's hair. "I might have a story or two you'd enjoy. Look at that, I'm almost finished. You'll look like a proper lady!"

Elizaveta let out a quite unladylike snort at that thought. Her, a lady. Even the thought was ridiculous.

Lilli worked in a last pin and proclaimed it finished. When Elizaveta saw it, she was shocked. Lilli was right.

It was hard to recognize herself. Her hair had been curled again, and each time she turned her head, they bounced. It didn't look like a mass of tangles anymore- in fact, it would be a shame to put it in a ponytail. She did look, somehow, like a lady.

"Wow," She breathed. "This is really nice. How did you do it?"

Lilli began gathering the mirror, brush, and other tools off the table. "Your hair is quite pretty as-is, so it didn't take much." She glanced at the clock. "How long does it take to get to the theatre?"

"About twenty minutes or so." Elizaveta checked the clock as well and was surprised to see an hour had passed. It seemed much shorter than that. "We can go behind the houses, where you came from. That way we won't be bothered."

Lilli cocked her head, confused. "Why would we be bothered?"

"We're on Blackbird turf, and we just look like two rich girls, so we would probably get attacked. Besides, I'm not sure how I could exactly explain this."

At that, Lilli averted her gaze and looked almost sad. "Oh, of course."

That was strange. "It's not that bad. Just a bit longer of a walk."

"That's not what-" Lilli cut herself off and then shook her head slightly, as if to clear it. "Never mind about that. Lead the way..." She looked back up to Elizaveta, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Duke."

Elizaveta raised an eyebrow. "Oh, does that mean you're the maiden that needs deflowering?"

Lilli didn't say anything, but she started grinning. Elizaveta feigned shock, gasping and bringing her hand to her chest. "Why, a lady shouldn't be thinking of things like that!"

Lilli rolled her eyes. "Come on, you're the one who brought up the whole deflowering thing. It's you who shouldn't think so."

Elizaveta let out a breath of laughter. "That's what you get for having a lot of boys for friends. Well, come along, fair maiden, and I'll show you to the palace."

.

Bus Stop was rather interesting after all. It was about a socially awkward cowboy who fell in love with an aspiring Hollywood star, Chérie, who was played by Marilyn Monroe. Ever since the movie ended, Lilli had not stopped talking about her.

"She's simply so gorgeous! And she's a great actor, too." Lilli's face lit up as she talked about her, and she grew more animated with every word.

Elizaveta had to admit, though, Monroe was quite a beauty. "The dress she wore looked great on her too. Though, of course," she quickly added, "I like men. I don't mean that any other way."

"Really?" Lilli's eyes were large, and her head was cocked to the side. She was the very picture of innocence. "I did."

For a long moment, Elizaveta simply stared at her. She felt like her heart had stopped. Had Lilli truly meant that? Was she queer? And, even more importantly, why did it matter so much?

And then, Lilli laughed, and Elizaveta felt that strange tightness in her chest again. Not too long ago, Lilli had been so reserved and shy; it was wonderful to see how much she had opened up.

"Oh, this is my neighborhood." Lilli stopped before one of the nicer neighborhoods in the town, and Elizaveta's eyes went wide at the sight of the houses. They were all so grand... She cleared her throat. "I'll see you at school, then."

Lilli nodded, smiling. "Today was really fun. Thank you." Then she left. Before she turned around the corner, she looked back and waved. Elizaveta waved back, and then Lilli was out of sight.

Elizaveta continued back to her neighborhood with a bounce in her step. Lilli was so wonderful. And she was so cute, especially when she giggled... Elizaveta laughed at the memory. She was so talented, too, and at so many things. She might even let Elizaveta read one of her stories.

Elizaveta grinned to herself as she fumbled with the keys to her door. Finally getting the right one, she unlocked her door.

"Look what we have here. A rich girl this far in the Blackbird's turf?"

Elizaveta spun around, reaching for her switchblade. When she felt only cloth, she cursed, remembering what she was wearing. Without her switchblade, she wouldn't last.

The person who had spoken didn't have a weapon, either. He was slouching against the porch, looking down at her with narrowed eyes. And she knew him better than almost anybody.

"Why did you have a rich girl with you earlier, Elizaveta?"

It was Gilbert.

* * *

_Note- the word queer was used to refer to homosexual people during this time period and wasn't as much of a slur back then. _


End file.
